1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for removing paint or other material from a standard roller type applicator. More particularly, a roller, rotatably mounted on a handle, is held stationary while one or more fluid jets of solvent are impacted against the roller surface causing it to spin at a relatively high speed resulting in the removal of diluted material from the roller by the centrifugal force generated.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art contains many paint roller cleaning systems which utilize one or more solvent jets to impact a roller for the purpose of spinning the roller and diluting the paint which is then thrown off from the roller by centrifugal force. These systems usually include apparatus for supporting the paint roller or the roller cover itself within a container and producing a spray of solvent from an outside source, usually through a manifold of multiple spray nozzles to clean the roller. The rollers or roller covers may be mounted either horizontally within a bucket or other container such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,275 to Mullen and U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,256 to Habostad with the roller extending either horizontally or vertically as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,152 to Hibberd. The roller or roller and handle may be hand held and extend within the bucket or mounted on a support structure within the container. In some instances, a single jet of solvent is hand manipulated along the length of the roller such as shown in the Habostad U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,901,256, and 5,337,769 to Howe to provide a tangential force to spin the roller. When a bucket or other container is used to mount the roller, the paint or other material laden solvent is usually collected in the container. Still other embodiments use a tubular shield or the like, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,598 to Hodgdon, with discharge openings to allow the paint laden solvent to drain directly into a discharge system. Many of the prior art roller spinning cleaners require specialized containers or housings, which are complex mechanical devices, to surround the spinning roll. These devices, especially when requiring hand operated spray systems or roller positioning structures, are often messy because of spilling and splashing during the cleaning operation. The need thus arises for an efficient and compact single apparatus for holding a standard roller and handle in juxtaposition to a pressurized solvent jet spray which can be easily connected to an external source of solvent such as a water pressure source when dealing with water soluble paints.